Means for controlling the supply of combustible mixture to internalcombustion engines



e. KEITH AND w. A. WHATMOUGH.

MEANS FOR CONTROLLING THE SUPPLY OF COMBUSTIBLE MIXTURE T0 INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 3, 1918.

ggg gg y Patented July 18, 1922.

mus ronf con'r'nonnme THE SUPPLY or oomnvsmnn MIXTURE comnusuupn memes.

' ineaest.

UNITED STATES ;-)PATENT- OFFICE.

- enonen KEITH AND wmrnnn AMBROSE wm'rmouenz, or tonnes, NGLAND.

Application filed May 3,

To all whom it may concem:

Be it known that we; GEORGE WILFRED AMBROSE WHATMOUGH, both subjects of the King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, and residing at London, England, have invented a certain new and useful improvement inrmeans for controlling the supply of combustible m xture to internal combustion engines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to means for controlling the supplyof combustible mixture to internal combustion engines, for example toengines of automobile vehicles.

One object of the invention is to ensure approximately, constant quality of the mixture, irrespective of thespeed of the engine, of the atmospheric .pressure or other c1rcumstances liable to aifect the quality.

Another object is to render practicable the employment of combustible gas or vapour from any source- -fo'r example of vapour producedby vaporization of a heavy hydrocarbon.

Broadly, the invention consists in the ar- Speci fication of Letters Patent.

rangement of a-governor operated by pres-- sure functions of the components of the combustible mixture and adaptedto maintain a differenceof pressure across the fuel supply regulator proportionate to the differencebetween the pressure at the point of admixture of fuel and air and the pressure at some other selected point in the induction pipe system. 1

For convenience we shall assume for the purpose of the following description that the combustible'medium to be admixed with air is vapour! obtained by vaporization of liuid, say a liquid hydrocarbon.

To effect vaporization, there is provided a vaporizer which may be convenientlyheat .the pressure in the vaporizer, is brought to a given pressure, lower than that in the vaporizer, by means of a governor device,

say a diaphragm governor, and thence led past a valve or obturator adjustable in accordance with the desired proportions constituting the mixture, and injected or induced to flow into the induction pipe or To m'rnnnur Patented J uly 1 8, 19 22. 1918. Serial No. 232,421.

the air for combustion; the point of intro KEITH andduction of the" fuel being desirably located.

as near the'en'gine as practicable, to reduce l ablllty to condensation.

A constriction may be formed the induction pipe in order tosirfcrease the difference of" pressure betwe, n the throttle valve and the point of admi'gion of the fuel.

If the throttle valve be located more re-" I mote from the engine than the point of fuel admission, a connection from the induction pipe to the back of the governor" diaphragm may be taken from any point of the induction pipe, whereby the quality of the mixture will beautomatically controlled in such wise as to ensure substantial uniformity of the quality of the mixture.

The pressure set by, the governor can be adjusted within limits by so disposing the orifice (at the induction pipe end) of the connection between the induction pipe and the back of the diaphragm, as to face towards or away *from the incoming current of air, or to occupy any position between the two, extremes.

The figure of the accompanying drawing illustrates diagrammatically by way of example one form of apparatus according to the invention.

Referring to the drawing, A' denotes the vaporizer which is located within an enlargement of the exhaust pipe B, and to whieh the. liquid to be vaporized is led by way of the pipe C. D denotes the diaphragm of the automatic mixture controller, the diaphragm l) beingconnected by a spindle to a valve E controlling the outlet from the vaporizer A. F denotes a pipe connecting the upper part of the diaphragm chamber to the induction pipe G at a point nearer the engine than the controlling -valve located at H. Air is admitted to the induction pipe Gr" through a pipe I, and as the admission of airis controlled by the valve at H said valve serves the purpose of a throttle valve, as the amount of combustible vapor passing to the enginemust depend upon the amount of air admitted to the induction pipe. The end J of the pipe F inside the induction pipe G may be bent and so constructed thatit may be turned to face towards or away from the flow of .air passing through, the inductionpipe G, whereby to vary the pressure on the top of the diaphragm D under any givenrun-- 55 manifold through which is also inspireding conditions of the engine.

K denotes a constriction or choke-bore formed on the induction pipe and designed to establish a sufficient difference of pressure between that point of the induction pipe at which the pipe J is introduced and that point at which the vapour is admitted. L denotes a tube along which the vapour asses after being governed by the valve E; t e tube L is preferably located within the exhaust pipe B so as to reduce the liability to condensation. ,M denotes an obturator whence the vapour passes into the induction pipe G by way ofan extension N which may take the form of a perforated tube. The proportion of vapour to air in the mixture is set by adjustment of the obturator M.

The induction pipe G opens into the intake manifold O as does also the extension N of I the obturator M.

From the foregoingit will be understood that vapor admission valve, E will be congovernor member being, operativel said passage, a tubular connection between said vaporizer and said induction pipe, said tubular connection extending through said exhaust communication between said vaporizer and said tubular connection, an obturating mem ber for regulating, delivery ofjvapor from said tubular connection to said induction pipe, achamber between and in communication with said vaporizer and said induction pipe, and anautomatically operating gov ernor member movable in said chamber, said connected to said valve and being contro' led by the pressure in said induction ipe.

2. In combination with an induction ipe through WhlCll a mixture of fuel and air is sucked to aninternal combustion engine, a

valve controlling the admission of air to said plpe, a vaporizer for fuel, a tubular connection between said vaporizer and said induction pipe, an obturating member serving to regulate thesupply'of fuel through said connection to said pipe, and a governor device arranged between said vaporizer and said lnduction pipe, said vaporizer, connect on, obturating member and governor device being arranged to be heated by the ex e haust from said engine, said governor device being automatically controlled by the suction or flow of the components of the mixture and adapted to irnaintaiu a difference of pressure across said obturating member proportionate to the difference between the pressure at the point of entry ofv pressure at some pipe, and a valve operatively connected to said member, said valve being adapted to control the passage of fuel from said source of supply to said tubular connection, said vaporizer, connection, obturator and governor being arranged to be heated by the exhaust from said engine.

4. In combination, an induction. pipe through which a mixture of fuel and air is sucked to an internal combustion engine, a valve controlling the admission of air to said induction pipe, a vaporizer, a tubular conassage, a valve serving to control nection between said vaporizer and saidinduct-ion pipe, a valve serving to control communication between said vaporizer and said tubular connection, a manually adjustable obturating member for regulating the delivery of vapor from said tubular connection to said induction pipe, a chamber between said vaporizer and said induction pipe, a governing member movable in said chamber, said member being operatively connected to said valve, said vaporizer, valve, obturatingmember, chamber and gov-.

erning member being arranged to be heated by the exhaust from said engine, and a tubular connection between said induction pipe and said chamber back of said movable governing member. I

5. In combination, an induction pipe through which a mixture of vapor and air is sucked to an internal combustion en 'ne, said induction pipe having a constricted part, a valve controlling the admission of air to said induction pipe, a fuel vaporizer, a tubular connection from said vaporizer to the constricted part of said induction pipe, a manually adjustable obturator for re i ng the deliveryof vapor from said tu ular connection to said pipe, a governor comprising a member arranged between said vaporizer and said induction pipe, said member being influenced byothe premure of the mixture in said induction pipe, and a valve operativelyconnected to said governor member, said valve being adapted to control the passa e of fuel from said. p rizer to said connection,

lat-

tubular connection, said vaporizer, connection, obturato-r and governor being arranged tobe heated by the exhaust from said engine. 6. In combination, an induction pipe throu h which a mixture of fuel and air is sucke to an internal combustion engine, a fuel vaporizer, a governor device comprisin a chamber between said vaporizer and said induction pipe, a. governor member movable in said chamber and automatically controlled by the pressure of the mixture in said induction pipe, a valve ope 'atively connected to said member, said vaporizer and governor device being arranged to be heated by the exhaust from said engine, and a tubular connection between said induction pipe and said chamber, one termination of said tubu: lar connection being angularly shift-able in said induction pipe.

7. In combination, an induction pipe through which a mixture of fuel and air is sucked to an internal combustion engine, a passage for exhaust gases, a. vaporizer in said passage, a tubular connection between said vaporizer and said induction pipe, said tubular connection extending through said exhaust passage, a valve serving to control communication between said vaporizer and said tubular connection, said valve being in the zone heated by the exhaust, gases, an obturating member forregulating delivery of vapor from said tubular connection to said induction pipe, said obturating member being in the zone heated by the exhaust gases, a chamber between and in communication with said vaporizer and said induction pipe, said chamber being thermally connected with said passage, and an automatically operating governor member movable in said chamber, said governor member being operatively connected to said "alve and being controlled by the pressure in said induction pipe.

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

GEORGE KEITH. WILFRED AMBROSE WHATMOUGH.

Witnesses HENRY MASON, FLORENCE HoUs'roN. 

